Joey Hishon doing well again after latest head injury with Lake Erie

I chatted a bit with Joey Hishon today, the Avs’ first-round pick from 2010, who has battled concussion issues, and he said he is doing “great” health-wise again after suffering another head injury late in the season with Lake Erie.

Hishon, a center, played nine games for the Monsters before suffering an injury following a hit from behind by Joey Tenute of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Previously, he missed nearly two full years with a concussion following a dirty hit from Brayden McNabb in a Memorial Cup game.

All signs point to Hishon being there for Avs training camp this fall. Let’s hope the good health continues – and lasts. A healthy Hishon would give the Avs an even more crowded situation at center.

Good to hear. If they’re planning on keeping the three centers of Duchene, O’Reilly, and Stastny, then guys like Sgarbossa and Hishon should be given shots on the wing.

RS

I would like to see him given a shot at LW with Duchene and PA.

Dmateix

no to having a natural centre at wing, we all saw how well duchene played out of his natural positon. I say trade Hishon while he’s still healthy and worth something for an established D

Jimbotronn

If he’s good enough at center to earn a spot on the Avs’ roster, then by all means play him at center. But if he can’t crack their center-heavy roster, why not see what he can do at wing? For the most part, if you can play center you can play wing. I seem to recall Forsberg saying that playing wing was “like taking the night off.” I don’t see how it would hurt. The problem two years ago with playing Duchene at wing was not that he sucked at
wing, but that they needed him at center. They don’t need Hishon at
center, they’re fine there right now.

I don’t think Hishon’s trade value would bring much at this point, he’s a guy who most thought the Avs picked too early and he’s played like ten games in two years. I’m thinking the phone won’t exactly be ringing off the hook with offers for him until he can prove he’s healthy and talented enough to play in the NHL. Which, of course, he could accomplish much faster if he can show he can play wing….

Mark T

The way Duchene played up until this season he was a better fit on the wing. He just also happened to be one of our best centers. I have no idea what kind of game Hishon plays, but maybe his style would also lend itself well to playing the wing. With the roster as is, there is absolutely no room at center other than the 4th line, and I’d rather he play 1st line in the AHL than 4th line in the NHL.

Ben

Doing great until another hockey player breathes on him, and then he’ll be out for another season and a half.

Let’s just face facts. Hishon is never going to play a minute in the NHL.

LR

Ben, I’m so impressed with your abilities to see into the future. How do you do it? Tarot cards?

Hank Mardukis

Hishon has played nine games in the past two years due to head injuries. It’s not much of a stretch at all to expect another injury to him.

Chrome Dome

Except that with concussions, it does not play that a prior concussion makes you more prone to another once rehab is completed. Perhaps “it’s not much of stretch” to imagine but that is all that is: imagining. It has no basis in fact……

Most of us are impressed with your abilities of denial. How do you stomach it?

Go Avs!

Lets hope the kid can finally catch a break. Hope we’ll see him in Avs sweater one day soon

Good luck, Joey!

Ramon

“Hishon, a center, played nine games for the Monsters before suffering an injury…”

I think what AD is trying to say – don´t draft McKinnon. AD would love to have Seth Jones in town.

End of translation.

Mark T

You’re becoming like a broken record. Every one of your posts boils down to “Don’t draft Jones. The media is wrong about him. Draft MacKinnon”

I think we get it.

EnzoSin

Erm…no, the broken record is Jimbo. Has been for awhile now.

Mark T

I’m not Jimbo. I don’t speak for Jimbo. And even if Jimbo were a broken record, it has nothing to do with whether or not Ramon is.

While I’m on the topic, you’re a bit of a broken record yourself. Seems like every second comment from you is a negative one directed at Jimbo as though you’ve got some kind of personal vendetta against the guy.

Puck Me Up

Even though this article isn’t about the upcoming draft (nice change of pace for sure) but I’m going to request a different kind of story that kind of relates to the upcoming draft since this blog has generated so many opinions about who the Avs should pick at #1.

I would love for the DP to do a little research on how well the Avs have developed players all the way from the draft pick to the NHL over the last 10-12 years. I already know the answer to my question, but I think the media and some shortsighted fans need to wake up and see where the Avs fair in their development of young players, and maybe then see who might be the better pick at #1.

Jimbotronn

I’m pretty sure that all Dater was saying there is that Hishon is a center, and that he played only nine games for the Monsters before suffering an injury.

Chantal

I hope Hishon finally get a chance to prove himself.

EnzoSin

Put several layers of bubble wrap on him, then….he just might.

dominique mougin

Great news, Joey has trmendous skills and i hope he can show it at the NHL level.

Donna

Good news

Wes

I just hope this kid can come back and stay healthy. I don’t even care if he never plays a game in the NHL. With everything he’s gone through, he’s not a player the Avs should be depending on anyway. Why not just be excited that he’s getting healthy and will get to play hockey again, even if it isn’t with the Avs.

jolimon99

2010 was a shallow draft after the first dozen picks or so. Still you always hate to hear your team “went off the board” in the first round. We all hope to see Hishon’s skill in the NHL. We wish him well

EnzoSin

There were actually still some decent D-men available around when they used that pick on Hishon. Tis a shame really, if the Av’s wanted him that badly they likely could have had him with a later pick.

shaker

But is it possible that they were picturing him in a 3rd line center role thinking that they might trade staz or O’Reilly for a d man? That could have worked if they weren’t both injured at inopportune times. Maybe not?

Feel Me

Hhhmmmm…that’s a tough one to speculate. I’m going to guess the Avs were thinking Hishon would be a fairly decent 4th line center, with opportunities to play occasional 3rd line minutes. But it’s kinda hard to guess though because during that era, Stastny was untouchable for any kind of trade. When Duchene came in, all the hype was about he was going to be the next Sakic and would eventually be the #1 center. Then when O’Reilly made the team his 1st year, all the hype was around him becoming a solid #2 for years to come. So it’s kinda hard to know what they were thinking for Hishon.

shaker

I think it’s interesting that they have been stocking up on centers but shipping d men.

Mark T

My guess is that they saw him as a potential #2 center behind Duchene and ahead of O’Reilly – they would trade Stastny. His injuries derailed that plan for the moment, but it could still happen I suppose.

Jimbotronn

When the Avs drafted Hishon he was 5-9 and like 160lb soaking wet. My guess is that they did not envision him developing into 3rd-line type of center, especially because O’Reilly had already show himself very well-suited to that role.

In short, I’m not sure what the Avs saw in Hishon, but I have my doubts he was drafted as O’Reilly’s eventual replacement.

shaker

The theory is based on a center replacing a center replacing a center and the avs always looking for that cheaper, adequate replacement. If O’Reilly was iffy and asking huge bucks and there is someone in the system that could do the job then O’Reilly or Duchene or Stastny gets moved. Not so much that Hishon was seen as the next up and coming great guy but looks at what Olver was doing last season.

Feel Me

Like who? There were very few players (in any position) from the 2010 draft who is actively playing in the NHL.

I can’t believe they picked Hishon over Etem.

AVS fan19

Although some were left scratching their heads that Colorado kind of went off the board with Hishon they really didn’t. I remember talks about how the year previous he was highly regarded. However the season leading to the draft he had an injury (no not a head injury) and had missed a good chunk of time and his stock fell. This sort of thing happens, I believe had he of been healthy all year he might have even been taken sooner. It also didn’t hurt that he was friends with O’Reilly.

Jimbotronn

I recall reading the same sort of things… that it was his health more than his abilities that had him off most team’s boards in the first round. Unfortunately, that proved accurate as his health is what’s held him back. But it wasn’t a particularly deep draft and at this point it doesn’t look like the Avs passed up an obvious NHL talent to pick Hishon, so I didn’t have a huge problem with the pick and I still don’t.

Feel Me

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about Hishon and O’Reilly beings buds. Wasn’t there a piece written about O’Reilly’s endorsement of Hishon just before the draft? I can’t remember if I read an article about that or what.

AVS fan19

I know it was discussed but not sure if there was a real article on it. As for injury issues, Jimbotronn I don’t think its really fair to say the concussions prove the health concerns to be true. I’d still say it’s a wait and see approach he is a young guy and both hits that resulted in the concussions were arguably dirty. With the first one being absolutely vicious/malicious. I do however believe in his skills to miss almost two full years and then put up the numbers he did in those handful of games as a first year pro thats a little impressive. To miss almost two full years and step back in and be successful in your first few games at the same level you left is impressive enough let alone the fact that you went from junior to Pro that takes it to a whole different level for me. I just wish the kid could get back healthy and not get taken out by dirty hits to fairly assess whether or not he can stay healthy. But an elbow to the head at top flight speeds and then being ran from behind into the glass face first aren’t fair ways to assess his health to me. By all means if the kid comes back and then blows out a knee, or something then I’ll start to worry about his health actually that’s probably more possible than not with missing this much time.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.